1440 Minutes in a Day

1440 Minutes of Not Comparing but Living My Life

This month our focus of prayer is to not compare our lives with anyone else's.  To make the concerted effort has been easier than I thought it would be.   There is a sense of relief.  The relief that who I am is more than enough. 

What does God want for my life?  He wants me to be me and live my life, and not someone else's.  Every day, I have 1440 minutes to live. Do I really want to spend any of those minutes focused on what someone else has or who they are?  

There is a sense of freedom that I have found this month.  I am not comparing myself to anyone else.  It is liberating in a way.  I can just be me, and not "worry" that I am missing out on something.

Here's the thing, when I compare, I add the stress and anxiety of not having what I think I should have.  Yes, we can pray and dream, but what is the thought process behind those prayers?  Why am I praying for something that I do not have?

There is a difference.  I could covet a large house, a brand new sports car, or a million dollars. Yet, are any of those things going to make me happy, or are those things items I can't afford?  

Praying for a house of my own at a price point, or needing a car I can afford, of course.  I think that God does want us to prosper and thrive in life.  He does want us to dream and live. He gave us 1440 minutes in a day.

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11

I have freed up a lot of minutes by not comparing. Now, I can focus on what God wants for my life.  I can focus on God and my relationship with Him. That is what He wants. He wants a relationship with each one of us.   

God expects me to be me, and although it has taken a long time, I am finally getting it. I don't need to compare myself with anyone else.  I don't have to be someone that I am not.  God's child, that is who I am.

What would happen if the actions of not comparing become a habit?  I know that I would be happier with time to do other things.  How many minutes in the day do I free up?  No, I am not going to do the math.

All I can do is pray that this month will go to the next month and so on.  One day at a time.  What does God want for my life?  I am living my life now, 1440 minutes at a time.

Dear Poppa God,

Thank you for giving us 1440 minutes in each day.  We have this day that you want us to live life.  You don't want us to spend the day comparing ourselves to others or what they have versus what we have.  Please help us to realize that You want us to live life abundantly. We are all on our journey with You, and I pray that each one of us reading this will follow Your will for our life.

In Jesus Name. Amen

Written by Laura Maxson

“Being Content in Any and Every Situation”

“I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.  I can do all this through him who gives me strength.”  (Philippians 4:12-13 NIV)

In reading this scripture, or I should say praying this scripture this month, I want to take it a segment at time. It helps me out, and I hope that it will help you out as well. 

“Being content in any and every situation.”  I must admit, that when I first read those words, it did not sit well with me.  What was Paul thinking when he wrote that?  I had to dig a little deeper.

As I stated in the last post, being content is a little more challenging.  When something doesn’t go as planned, or the darkness of hell looms over you, how are you to be content?  Some of you may need to know how that is possible.

I can tell you, it isn’t a feeling that you can just make happen. It is focus on the Lord. It is knowing that God is in control.  It is faith in Him.

How can I say that?  Someone, who as a child went through something that no child should go through. As a child, I did suffer abuse from my uncle.  However, the LIGHT of GOD shined through the darkness.

I am not content that it happened.  God does not require me to be.  I am content that I am God’s child, and I will thrive despite it.  Despite any circumstances that we find ourselves, we are not beaten down.  There is a God who is always there.

Contentment cannot come from the things we own, or the money in the bank. Other people cannot make us content, trust me.  We can’t even make ourselves content without the focus on God.

Our contentment through any and every circumstance must come from our faith, and trust in God, and our focus on Him.  He only, can help us be content.

When I look at it this way, I see a light.  His light is shining through.  Contentment is not unattainable.  It is where my focus lies. It is not the destination, it is part of the journey. Our journey of our relationship with God.

Dear Poppa God.

         I pray that we are content in any and every situation. I pray that we put our trust in you.  I pray that we focus on You.  Thank you for giving us resources, and hope during those dark. You shine a Light in the darkness.

In Jesus Name,

Amen

Laura Maxson

Reflection of the Words for the Year

Back in January, we prayed that God would reveal the word or words that would define our year. Through prayer, God revealed that He wanted my words to be Focus and Confidence.  It has been a journey, but God has defined my year with these two words.

It has taken eleven months for me to see how the words have defined my year.  I have finally opened my eyes to see what God is doing in my life.  Actually, I should say-God has opened the eyes of my heart to be able to see what He is doing. Thankfully, God never gives up on any of us.

As I reflect on this last year, it has been a year full of both good moments and very bad moments.  I have questioned things and found answers. 

I want to take several moments to reflect on these words and what they meant to me for this year.

 

FOCUS – The center of interest or activity. (Noun); Adapt to the prevailing level of light and become able to see clearly. (Verb)

CONFIDENCE – The feeling or belief that one can rely on someone or something; firm trust (Noun)

 

Photo by Kartini Maxson

I am focused on Jesus as my Lord.  Because I am focused on Him, He has shown the light on my prayers, and I can see clearly the answer that He has given me.  I see Him more clearly.  With my focus on Him, He is becoming my center.

It has come to the point, there are times that I pray just to praise the Lord for never giving up on me.  Sometimes, I just talk with Him to thank Him for life.

When I pray to Him for guidance on something, or for someone, I have a clear view of His answer. There have been times that the answer is no, and I still praise the Lord.  When the guidance comes, I see with clarity, because my eyes are focused on Him.

I have confidence in my Lord.  With every moment that I spend with Him, my belief in Him is more secure. Just like in any relationship, the more you get to know someone, the more you trust them, and the more you are confident in that relationship.

With my confidence in My Lord, I have more confidence in myself when I follow His leading.  I have confidence that the Lord will never guide me in the wrong direction.  Sometimes I have questions, but God answers those as well. 

The more I am focused on Him, the more confidence I have in Him.  I can be confident in Him that He will never fail me.  His love never fails me.  I have confidence in my Lord, and that confidence is because I focus on Him.

“Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you.” Proverbs 4:25

Some of you know of my past struggles and the hurdles that I have gone through.  The Lord has always been there. It was when I shifted my focus from myself to my Lord, things became so much clearer.  I have more confidence in Him.

I promise you, that doesn’t mean that I still don’t sometimes have question. But, those are the times that I focus more on my God instead of the question.  Usually, God will show me more clearly that He was not kidding or taking me on the wrong road.  God keeps shining the light on the answer, until I finally get it.

That happened just recently. This last month, I prayed for guidance on a situation and that God would show me the direction that He had for me.  In my prayer journal, I even wrote, that I knew that He would answer me before I had prayed about it.  He did.

It came in the mail as a birthday present from one of my best friends.  I open it up, and it was an answer.  It took me a couple of days to realize that it was the answer, but when it finally hit me, I looked back in my prayer journal and realized that it indeed came before I had prayed for it. 

My friend had mailed it, and it was supposed to have come on my birthday. But, it didn’t come until a couple of days later. The day I had prayed.  

The Lord knew that I wouldn’t pray for guidance until Monday, so He held it in Pennsylvania, so I would know that this was my answer.

Had I received the gift on my birthday, I would have not seen it as the answer to what I was going to pray three days later.  God needed me to focus on Him, for the answer to become clear.

Here is where my confidence in God is growing. This week, I have been questioning if the answer was really in the direction of where I thought it was.  Maybe, it was just a coincidence, and the guidance from God was telling me something different.  So many questions, my confidence wavering.

God is so good, He keeps showing me through Bible verses, and the book I am reading, that He will never take me in the wrong direction.  He is always constant, and never plays games with us.  In faith, I go with the guidance that the Lord has given me.

I go in confidence of Him and keep my eyes focused on Him.  He will not lead me astray.  So, when the doubts and the over thinking comes, I will keep my focus on the Lord.  I will walk by faith in confidence with my eyes focused on my Lord.

Lord, Poppa God, I continue to focus on You, and with that focus, I become more confident in You.  Only in You am I confident that You will continue to guide me.  I praise Your name, and will continue to share my story of what You have done in my life.  The road has not always been easy because of the decisions I have made.  You, although, have always been there with me, and carried me at times. I thank You.

In Jesus Name Amen.

Laura Maxson